PRAMAAN Certification
Prelims:
Environment
Mains:
GS
Paper III: Environment and conservation
Current relevance:
The
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change handed over India’s first
PRAMAAN certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification
Scheme (IFWCS) in New Delhi.
Highlights:
1. About PRAMAAN
·
PRAMAAN stands for Programme for Recognition and
Accreditation of sustainable Management practices for Agroforestry And Natural
forestry resources.
·
It is a national certification framework for
forests, wood and non-timber forest products (NTFPs), designed to
provide a credible and transparent system for recognising sustainable
management practices.
·
It aims to connect certified forest and agroforestry
products with domestic and international markets, while enhancing the social
and ecological value of India’s forests, agroforestry systems and
wood-based industries.
2.
Institutional and Certification Framework
·
PRAMAAN functions under the Indian Forest and Wood
Certification Scheme (IFWCS), launched in 2023.
·
The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal
is the operating agency for the scheme.
·
Forest Management certification follows the Indian Forest
Management Standard under the National Working Plan Code (NWPC), 2023.
·
Certification is based on independent third-party
audits, with certification bodies accredited by the National
Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) under the Quality
Council of India.
3.
First PRAMAAN Certifications
·
India’s first PRAMAAN certificates were awarded to the Andhra
Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) for its plantations and to a
bamboo farmer associated with the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA).
·
Certification was granted after field-level and
management audits, marking the transition of IFWCS from a policy framework to
practical implementation.
·
The framework covers areas such as Forest Management,
Tree Outside Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification.
4.
Sustainable Trade and Market Access
·
PRAMAAN helps Indian producers, exporters and
forest-based enterprises address emerging global requirements relating to due
diligence and responsible deforestation-free timber sourcing.
·
Its accreditation system is benchmarked against
international certification frameworks, supporting recognition by domestic
and global buyers and regulators.
·
It therefore provides a mechanism for linking verified
sustainable practices with compliant and premium markets.
5.
Livelihood and Community Benefits
·
PRAMAAN also has a strong livelihood dimension, bringing rural
and tribal communities, smallholder farmers and forest-dependent
communities within a verifiable certification system.
·
It can create new income opportunities by improving
access to certified and premium markets.
·
Women Self-Help Groups and marginal landholders involved in NTFPs,
agroforestry and tree-based agriculture are also expected to benefit.
6.
Significance:
·
PRAMAAN brings together sustainable forest management,
livelihood generation and market access, linking environmental conservation
with economic opportunities.
·
It supports a development model where ecological
stewardship and sustainable trade complement each other, contributing to
the broader vision of Viksit Bharat at 2047.
Source:PIB- https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2316355®=48&lang=1